Grand potential in thermodynamics of solid bodies and surfaces

Using the chemical potential of a solid in a dissolved state or the corresponding component of the chemical potential tensor at equilibrium with the solution, a new concept of grand thermodynamic potential for solids has been suggested. This allows generalizing the definition of Gibbs' quantity $\sigma$ (surface work often called the solid-fluid interfacial free energy) at a planar surface as an excess grand thermodynamic potential per unit surface area that (1) does not depend on the dividing surface location and (2) is common for fluids and solids.Comment: 6 page

Self-similar solution of a nonsteady problem of nonisothermal vapour condensation on a droplet growing in diffusion regime

This paper presents a mathematically exact self-similar solution to the joint nonsteady problems of vapour diffusion towards a droplet growing in a vapour-gas medium and of removal of heat released by a droplet into a vapour-gas medium during vapour condensation. An equation for the temperature of the droplet is obtained; and it is only at that temperature that the self-similar solution exists. This equation requires the constancy of the droplet temperature and even defines it unambiguously throughout the whole period of the droplet growth. In the case of strong display of heat effects, when the droplet growth rate decreases significantly, the equation for the temperature of the droplet is solved analytically. It is shown that the obtained temperature fully coincides with the one that settles in the droplet simultaneously with the settlement of its diffusion regime of growth. At the obtained temperature of the droplet the interrelated nonsteady vapour concentration and temperature profiles of the vapour-gas medium around the droplet are expressed in terms of initial (prior to the nucleation of the droplet) parameters of the vapour-gas medium. The same parameters are used to formulate the law in accordance with which the droplet is growing in diffusion regime, and also to define the time that passes after the nucleation of the droplet till the settlement of diffusion regime of droplet growth, when the squared radius of the droplet becomes proportionate to time. For the sake of completeness the case of weak display of heat effects is been studied.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure

A dental stool with chest support reduces lower back muscle activation

Activation of back musculature during work tasks leads to fatigue and potential injury. This is especially prevalent in dentists who perform much of their work from a seated position. We examined the use of an ergonomic dental stool with mid-sternum chest support for reducing lower back muscle activation. Electromyography of lower back extensors was assessed from 30 dental students for 20 s during three conditions in random order: (a) sitting upright at 90° of hip flexion on a standard stool, (b) leaning forward at 80° of hip flexion on a standard stool, and (c) leaning forward at 80° of hip flexion while sitting on an ergonomic stool. Muscular activity of the back extensors was reduced when using the ergonomic stool compared to the standard stool, by 33-50% (p < 0.01). This suggests a potential musculoskeletal benefit with use of a dental stool with mid-sternum chest support

Heterogeneous condensation in dense media

The theoretical description of the heterogeneous nucleation kinetics is presented. This description takes into account the perturbation of the vapor phase initiated by the growing droplets. The form of the density profile around the growing droplet is analyzed which leads to some special approximations. Then the process of nucleation in the whole system is described. As the result all main characteristics of the process are determined analytically.Comment: 50 pages, LATE

Two mechanisms of the enhanced antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) efficacy of non-fucosylated therapeutic antibodies in human blood

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) has recently been identified as one of the critical mechanisms underlying the clinical efficacy of therapeutic antibodies, especially anticancer antibodies. Therapeutic antibodies fully lacking the core fucose of the Fc oligosaccharides have been found to exhibit much higher ADCC in humans than their fucosylated counterparts. However, data which show how fully non-fucosylated antibodies achieve such a high ADCC in human whole blood have not yet been disclosed. The precise mechanisms responsible for the high ADCC mediated by fully non-fucosylated therapeutic antibodies, even in the presence of human plasma, should be explained based on direct evidence of non-fucosylated antibody action in human blood.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Using a human <it>ex vivo </it>B-cell depletion assay with non-fucosylated and fucosylated anti-CD20 IgG1s rituximab, we monitored the binding of the therapeutic agents both to antigens on target cells (target side interaction) and to leukocyte receptors (FcγR) on effector cells (effector side interaction), comparing the intensities of ADCC in human blood.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In the target side interaction, down-modulation of CD20 on B cells mediated by anti-CD20 was not observed. Simple competition for binding to the antigens on target B cells between fucosylated and non-fucosylated anti-CD20s was detected in human blood to cause inhibition of the enhanced ADCC of non-fucosylated anti-CD20 by fucosylated anti-CD20. In the effector side interaction, non-fucosylated anti-CD20 showed sufficiently high FcγRIIIa binding activity to overcome competition from plasma IgG for binding to FcγRIIIa on natural killer (NK) cells, whereas the binding of fucosylated anti-CD20 to FcγRIIIa was almost abolished in the presence of human plasma and failed to recruit NK cells effectively. The core fucosylation levels of individual serum IgG1 from healthy donors was found to be so slightly different that it did not affect the inhibitory effect on the ADCC of fucosylated anti-CD20.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results demonstrate that removal of fucosylated antibody ingredients from antibody therapeutics elicits high ADCC in human blood by two mechanisms: namely, by evading the inhibitory effects both of plasma IgG on FcγRIIIa binding (effector side interaction) and of fucosylated antibodies on antigen binding (target side interaction).</p

Calanoid Copepods from Midwater Trawl Collections Made in the Southeastern Pacific Ocean

Volume: 22Start Page: 322End Page: 33

Bathypelagic calanoid copepods of the western Indian Ocean

Volume: 122Start Page: 1End Page: 6